A spectacular
26 hour passage with force 4-5 winds(15-20 kts) to Bizerte, Tunisia; a
few days to explore and rest; and then another glorious 26 hour overnight
sail brought us to the Egadi Islands off the west coast of Sicily.

Refreshed with
sleep and several swims in clear, clean water, we motored from Favignano
Island in the Egadis to Trapani, on the northwest coast of Sicily, and
rafted three deep in a dirty and smelly commercial harbor for a wonderful
three days.

Trapani is
a bustling harbor and the old town is an architectural mix reflecting
the Arabic and Aragonese influences dating from the Middle Ages. But it
is Italian now with wonderful panaficios (bakeries), and chic trattorias
and cafes everywhere. Sicilian desserts are my delight and I am in heaven
here. We have found fewer people speaking English since entering Italian
waters, and our Italian is extremely limited, but most people have been
delightful in trying to understand us and to get us to understand them.

Trapani felt
good, but the real treat was Erice, a medieval jewel sitting 2,480 feet
above Trapani, atop the only mountain in Western Sicily, Mt San Giuliano,
overlooking the gently sloping plains and the Mediterranean Sea. This
village, still occupied by descendants of the Aragonese who founded it,
has cobbled streets, an intact castle, several beautiful Norman churches
and much appreciated, cool breezes.

We have been
struck since our landfall in Sicily that we are seeing clouds for the
first time this season. First hazy, Chesapeake Bay summer type clouds
in the Egadi Islands, then fluffy cumulus clouds, and in Erice, fast moving
ribbons covered the steeples, then were briskly blown away by the wind.
Even the beautiful blue Mediterranean sky can use enhancement at times.